How Airkeep Should Have Ended: A Predictive Fan-Fiction
by Wol5fe
Summary: A few chapters depicting how I feel Airkeep should have ended, as well as how I predict Firekeep could begin. Focused on Kyja's experience in the afterlife and her trials in finding Firekeep. Does not require reading the novels to understand.
1. Chapter 1

While originally written to change some things about the ending of Air Keep, namely the death scene (it wasn't sad enough), it later became a prediction/piece of inspiration for how the next book, Fire Keep, may turn out in the future. (And if Mr. Savage is kind enough to read my work, *waves hands in fan-boyish fashion* I hope he will take into consideration some of the ideas presented for the next installment. Hey, a guy can dream, right?)

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the Farworld series. All rights are reserved for author J. Scott Savage and producer Kayla Hackett. I use two full page excerpts from the "Air Keep" installment, and I do not mean to plagiarize in any way. I did not receive nor expect to receive profit from this work. Thank you.

 **Chapter 45: Goodbye**

 **-From the beginning of the end-**

The crowd started to clap, but Kyja held up a hand to stop them so she could continue. Marcus noticed her hand was trembling slightly. "I also want to say that even if I have to leave for a while, know that I love you all. And..." She swallowed and brushed her eyes with the back of her hand. "And I will always be here. Even if you can't see me."

There was a smattering of confused applause as Kyja quickly drank the liquid from her goblet and sat down.

"What was that about?" Marcus whispered to her, taking his seat. "Where are we going?"

Kyja rested her hands flat on the table. "Mortals can't enter the doorway to Fire Keep. It's..." She took a deep breath and relaxed back in her seat. "It's designed to keep humans out and fire elementals in."

"Then we'll figure a way around that," Marcus said. "Maybe Mr. Z can help us."

"He can't," Kyja said, looking up with her deep green eyes. "No one with magic can enter the doorway. That's why I need to go first and then pull you over."

"Are you alright?" Marcus asked. Her face seemed too pale, and her breathing was slowing down.

"I'm fine." Kyja smiled softly. "The last rule about Fire Keep is that I can't go through the door by myself. I have to be sent by someone I love." She reached out and squeezed his hand. Her fingers were ice cold.

Suddenly, Marcus remembered where'd he'd seen her hairstyle before. The flowers. The braid resting on a silk pillow in the glass coffin. He looked from her empty goblet to the silver decanter. The decanter he had poured her drink from.

I couldn't go through the door by myself. I had to be sent by someone I love.

"No!" he screamed. "You can't do this. There has to be another way."

Kyja smiled at him one last time. She whispered, "I...love...you," then closed her eyes and stopped breathing.

—«•»—

 **Chapter 1**

 **What Happened Next**

The scene before her, one of triumphant wizards and warriors, to screams and Master Therapass' concerned and confused frown, began to fade ever so swiftly. She smiled at Marcus. It was all she could do to reassure him that it was going to be alright. Her head tilted back involuntarily. She was already losing all strength to stay alive. She could have fought it, but Kyja wouldn't allow herself to do so. She welcomed the darkness as it grew stronger, heavier, thicker. Minor convulsions racked her body as her systems all began to shut down.

Then, all at once, her lungs refused to pump, and the air was sucked away from her precious body. Her spirit was falling. It tumbled over and over, end over end, and plunged into the impossibly cold waters of death, the waves crashing over her head and the currents pulling her deeper.

Fighting back the fear of it all- she had to be brave for Marcus and all of Farworld- Kyja let go of her hold on life.

—«•»—

"Kyja? Kyja!" Marcus couldn't stop shaking her. She had to wake up. She had to. "KYJA!" It was no use. She was dead.

No. No she's not. I promised she wouldn't- I promised...I was going to change it.

Tears of grief and pain obstructed his vision. He wiped them away furiously as he continued to plead with whatever omnipotence that kept her asleep to relinquish its hold on the only friend he had ever had. He called upon the elements to aid him in his desperation.

 _Water and air_

 _For my sake_

 _Remove this poison_

 _Make her wake_

The rushed incantation didn't cause so much as a flicker of an eyelash from the corpse of the poisoned girl. Why wasn't it working? Why had the elements refused his plea in the time he needed them most? After all they had gone through together to help the elementals, how could they now turn their backs on them? Who dared to deny him their power!?

The concerned crowd pressed forward, selfishly trying to gain a glimpse as to the fate of the strange girl whom they had seen to appear to commit suicide.

"Get away!" Marcus screamed at them, waving his hand in a clearing gesture. He wished that by doing so they would all be blown out the doors; punishment for not doing anything to prevent this tragedy, even though Marcus understood fully well that they had nothing to do with it. He hadn't even known. How could he have known? He should have known. Why hadn't she trusted him enough to tell him?

Marcus' hands trembled with rage and hurt. He couldn't let her die. He wouldn't let her die. Seeing no other option, he did the unthinkable. If the ones he had sought the help of for so long betrayed him now, he would force them. Dark magic was the only answer. It didn't matter if he was corrupted, at least Kyja would be okay. He yanked the thin length of shadow wood from his vest and held it high, letting his anger swell within him, envisioning the elements bowing down to his great power. He opened his mouth as to utter an incantation, but was suddenly blown off balance by a fierce gust of wind, knocking the wand from his hand.

"Don't you dare!" Master Tharapass stood with his arm outstretched, clearly sensing what Marcus had intended to do. "Don't you dare give up now, when all of us here are depending on you." Regaining his balance, wincing at the pain the jolt had brought to his limbs, he ignored the old wizard and stared straight passed him at the one who, throughout the entire event, still remained seated and calm.

"You!" Marcus pointed a quivering finger. "How could you?"

The mass of heads all turned to look at the one he had pointed to. Staring straight back at Marcus, with a sad smile on her tulip lips, was Divum.

"You told her about Fire Keep. You poisoned the drink, didn't you!" Marcus understood it all now. The way the drink smelled like flowers. The way the decanter had been placed in front of her the whole time. The way his call for magical aid had been refused by the elements. He never hated the Aerisian's light tinkle of a laugh more than now.

"Yes. She asked me if I would. I poisoned it, but you gave it to her to partake?" Divum giggled once more. "Oh it's ironic, isn't it? The boy who wants to change fate ends up bringing it about. Hehe. It's a wonderful joke." Her words pierced him to the very soul. She was right. It had been him. He had killed her. It all came together as a sickening puzzle he hadn't known he'd been hiding the final piece. He fell back once more, too stunned for words.

"Take me away," Marcus whispered quietly under his breath. The guard that stood by him just looked at him, then to Master Therapass, and then to Divum. "Take me away, I said!" Marcus' eyes burned with hatred, both for himself and for the guard's inaction. Clumsily, he obliged, fumbling with his spear and gently taking Marcus by the arm, leading him to the dungeon for a purpose he didn't understand.

—«•»—


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **The Edge of Nothingness**

Kyja was sinking. That's all she knew. That's all she felt. Deeper and deeper into the depths of eternity, her soul spiraled head over heels until all sense of gravity was lost. She saw the surface of the black sea. It shimmered with the image of the last thing she saw before she died, Marcus' sobbing expression. It pained her to watch for more than a couple of seconds. If that was the surface, why did she feel like she was floating instead of falling anymore?

All at once, the enchanted feeling of weightlessness fled and she collapsed onto the ground of what she assumed was the afterlife. Looking around, she saw...nothing. Kyja wasn't quite sure what she expected. The flaming gates of Fire Keep. A molten mote of lava with a drawbridge of embers bridging the gap. A castle made of brimstone and ash. None of her assumptions were anywhere in sight of the foggy clouds of black. Even the ground she stood upon was barren of any detail save it be the shimmering of a glassy surface.

No light radiated from any discernible source, but despite it Kyja could remarkably see her reflection perfectly in the polished obsidian. Only, it wasn't the reflection she was familiar with growing up all her...well...life. This reflection was different, though it felt just as familiar as the one she'd lived with. It was smooth. Not just her skin, but her every feature. It was like her entire body had an eraser go over every detail, wiping all distinction away. No blemishes pocked her face. No harsh lines etched themselves into her skin. As far as she could understand, she was more of a shadow or silhouette of her previous self. Was this what her spirit looked like? Did this mean she was actually dead?

The thought made her blood run cold. No. There was no blood anymore. She put a hand to her chest. No heartbeat. There was no anything anymore. It was just this shadow figure she was now confined to...what? Live on as? For the first time, the full impact of the fact she had actually died took effect. She was dead. She had died. She had passed on. The words all sounded the same, but the meaning behind them all seemed to have undergone as much of a drastic change as she had. This was what it was like to simply not be alive.

How long had she been here? Eternity? It felt like Kyja had just got here but it also felt like she had been here for hours. Days. Weeks, months, years, and decades. A millennium could have passed by! The more she thought about how much time she had spent here, the longer it seemed conceivable that she had.

Had Marcus already moved on? Did he continue with his life? Did he die an old man, forever waiting for her to pull him over? Did he somehow open the drift without her, or was all of Farworld destroyed because she had never returned to help. Did the Dark Circle now parade around all of Farworld and Earth, ruling the citizens of both worlds with unrelenting power?

A horrible thought suddenly dawned on Kyja. If she never found Fire Keep, that meant she would never be able to leave this place. Even worse, if she couldn't leave, how could she push Marcus back to Earth? He would get more and more sick as the other half of his body stayed in the shadow realm before he would finally give in and die, just as she had. For the first time, Kyja realized the consequences of an action taken too quickly. She had been impatient and rushed to a decision, not willing to let anyone else impede her like Master Therapass had in letting her bring Marcus to Farworld. Granted, back then it was a good thing, because had she not, Marcus would have stepped into the Void of Unbecoming and all of their adventures would have been for naught. But now, her actions had no time sensitivity whatsoever. Kyja sunk to her knees, despair overwhelming her ethereal form. She may have doomed the entire destruction of both Farword and Earth to be set in stone.

—«•»—

"You shouldn't be here. You should be there, at her funeral." He waved his hands at the dripping dungeon walls. "You don't belong here. Master Therapass told us everything and no one blames you for what happened.

"This is where I belong. The law against murder is clear. If you let me go, you'd have to let every killer go too."

Breslek knelt before the cell and gripped the iron bars. "Did you do it?" he asked rhetorically. "Did you kill her?"

"Yes," Marcus repeated the words he'd heard twice before—the words he'd sworn he would never have to say. "I did it. I murdered her."

"Master Therapass is placing powerful protections on the coffin," Breslek said. "Nothing will be able to open it until she returns. Her body..." He wiped his eyes and sniffed. "Her body will remain just as it was the moment she stopped breathing."

The high lord offered a few more words of condolences, but Marcus had stopped listening. It had already been five days. Five days without a word. Without any tug in his stomach or any kind of signal at all that she was still out there.

"I trust you, Kyja," he whispered, "I do. But please come soon."

—«•»—

Kyja was lost, though she wasn't sure if one could be lost without ever knowing where they were attempting to go in the first place. She just dived in expecting to have the Fire Keep standing before her. She should have known it wouldn't be that easy. Which direction was she supposed to head? Did it matter? Every direction was just as similar to the spot she was standing in. She needed a map. A compass. A guide.

 _Oh of course. A guide!_

The second she thought of it, the name sprang to her lips automatically. As a creature of pure magic, she knew that he wouldn't be able to appear in Fire Keep, but this wasn't Fire Keep. "Mr. Z!" she called.

The name echoed across the plane of non-existence. "Mr. Z," she tried again. Much like the first, there was nothing. She didn't understand. Why wasn't he showing up? Did this mean that even a creature of pure magic didn't have the ability to cross over to "the other side?" Kyja sank to her knees. For once, she was truly alone. She had no one. In her life, there were always people, though she never had friends. But at least there was people. Now there wasn't even a fast talking, confusing, and altogether lovable little man to be there for her in her isolation. She could try pulling Marcus over, but she wasn't sure if that was a safe idea. If she did, would she be able to send him back? Would part of his body remain in Farworld, like a part was left in the shadow realm? She didn't even have the library back at Terra Ne Saric to find any form of answer to any of her questions. She really just wanted someone to talk to, but she didn't want to risk bringing Marcus here. She had taken a large enough risk without needing to mess anything else up. She didn't know what to do.

 _Huh_?

There was something there. She heard it. Felt it. Like a sudden spark in her mind, Kyja knew...something. Something was different about her understanding of the situation. She didn't know what, but something had definitely reached out through the void and given her something. A message of some kind. What was it?

It was... It was... Nothing. That was it! Nothing! There was absolutely nothing! There was nothing and that meant there was something! Something wrong. Something missing. Something she needed to do right this second. She danced, or thought she danced, at the sudden revelation that didn't really offer her anything other than a different understanding of the same situation. But at least she had received some sort of answer to a question she wasn't sure it belong to. Kyja treasured it up, nonetheless. Then, she immediately went about pondering what was so significant about nothing. It was like a riddle in her mind that was desperate to be solved.

Kyja started dissecting every single "nothing" she could speculate. There was the nothingness of the place she was in. There was the nothingness of the air, how it didn't blow or shift when she walked or moved. There was the feeling of emptiness. A second understanding entered her mind, but when she tried to grab hold of it, it retreated like trying to catch smoke.

Smoke. Was that it? Where there's smoke there's fire. All she had to do was find smoke, and she would find Fire Keep. But how was she supposed to see smoke when the entire void was dark. Would she be able to smell it? Now that she thought of it, she couldn't smell anything. She couldn't hear, see, or taste anything.

Maybe that was the clue? She couldn't sense anything, so she instead needed to try and sense nothing? That didn't make sense.

Ugh. This was getting her nowhere. Without anything to go off of, her mind couldn't expand to learn or understand anything. Frustration boiled up inside her. Directing her anger towards herself wasn't going to help, but there was nothing to take it out on. She swung her fist in the open air, simply wishing and imagining it connecting with something hard. What happened instead only added more questions to the pile.

—«•»—


	3. Chapter 3

**So, I'm not too concerned with spacing out the posting of these chapters since I wrote this as an unbroken wall of text. So while I'm breaking it up into chapters, I want people to be able to read the whole thing all at once how I had written it, and not wait in suspense. Anyway, next chapter...**

 **Chapter 3**

 **The Riddle of The Void**

Fire. It's scorching warmth expelled itself from her clenched fist in a miraculous flutter of flame. It was only the size of a candle, but after the infinite amount of time Kyja had been dead, the small light it radiated was blinding.

She...She had shot fire. She had cast magic! Kyja was so taken aback by the discovery that she didn't move for another eternity of meaningless time. How? After an entire lifetime of magic lessons and disappointment, how was she now able to do magic? And why now, when it no longer matter whether she could or not? Was this some kind of joke? A trick of the eye? Wishful thinking? She tried again, and once more, a tongue of fire lapped at the air for possibly a second before fading away. How? How was this possible? In a world of nothing, why was she finally able to do something?

 _Everyone has a little bit of magic in them. Even those on earth._ The memory of Master Therapass' lecture to Marcus and her in the forest sprang to mind. Was this the magic she always had? Perhaps it's because as a spirit, she was small enough to access the minute amount?

Was this the clue she was supposed to use to solve the puzzle? All she had wanted was to hit something. Hurt something. Destroy something. Destroy the nothing that was so prevalent in this world. And now, when Kyja finally had the ability to destroy something, there was nothing.

Nothing. That word was so vague and yet so meaningful to a point she didn't understand how it was the key to solving of of this.

"There is nothing here," she shouted. Her voice echoed through the nothing, mocking her. "I'm alone. No one is here! Marcus isn't here! Fire Keep isn't here!" Kyja couldn't stop the frustration and anger from building up. Sure, she had magic now for whatever reason, but there wasn't anything she could do with it. The thing she wanted most in life, her dream, now meant...nothing.

 _Fire Keep isn't here,_ she thought once more. _No. It has to be here. I know it's here. I know it._

Then, like a trumpet sounding, Kyja pieced together the riddle of the void. When you can neither smell, taste, see, hear, nor touch anything, how do you know that it's there?

Faith. Nothingness was the answer, because Kyja just had to trust that she would find it without the aid of anything. What kept the Aerisians trapped inside, the fire elementals use to keep others out. However, how was she supposed to find it with faith? Sure, she believed it was here- It obviously had to be- but was it just supposed to appear when you said you believed in it? Worth a shot.

"Fire elementals! I know you are here. I...I believe it." There was silence. So much for faith. Did she have to continue to use faith to hear the answer, too?

"I, uh, I believe that you are here, and...you will answer me," Kyja called out into the void. When there wasn't an answer, she closed her eyes and concentrated.

 _I will get an answer. I will get an answer. I know I'll get an answer._

 _Do you?_

Huh? The question just popped into her head. She was positive she hadn't thought it, but sure enough, it was there. She didn't have any reason to doubt, so why did she think that? Maybe she needed to believe in it more, however that works.

 _I know I'll get an answer. I know there are fire elementals here. I know Fire Keep is somewhere here. I know I will find-_

 _Prove it._

 _What_? Interrupting her own train of thought were those two words. She hadn't thought that either. That definitely wasn't her thought. Was it a challenge? From who? The elementals? Did...did they speak by telepathy? And how was she supposed to "prove it?"

 _Faith_

Kyja's eyes widened. Now the words were just falling into her head. It sounded like her voice was speaking them, but she was absolutely certain she wasn't the one thinking them. Now she knew for a fact that there was something- finally, a something- giving her directions.

Prove it. How did she prove her faith that the elementals were here? She had the evidence. Something was putting thoughts in her head. Was that enough? No, otherwise they would be here.

 _Well, how do you know they're not?_

Confused, Kyja chose to speak back to her mental voice. "How do I prove my faith?"

 _Do you truly believe that you are close to Fire Keep?_

"Yes."

 _Then open the door._

"How? I don't see any door."

 _Did you not say you believed you were close to Fire Keep? If you truly had faith, you would believe that if you just reached out your hand, you would be able to find the door._ The voice was stern and reproving, and Kyja actually felt embarrassed for the stupidity she felt for not understanding a simple concept as belief.

Obeying the thoughts in her head, she stepped forward and tried to imagine what the door to Fire Keep would feel like. Hot. Scalding. Rough cobblestone. Large. All these ideas came to mind as she reached out and sought for the match to the textures. Doubt quickly filled the space hope had resided as she waved her hands pathetically in front of her. She probably looked foolish, and Kyja looked around just to make sure no one in the dark shadowy non-existence could see her behaving in such a strange manner, talking to herself and pushing her hands against nothing. Expecting to find no one, she suddenly saw everyone she had ever known standing around her! Master Therapass, Marcus, even Bella, the cook from the tower. But not just them; the kids she had grown up with and teased her because of her lack of magic were there, laughing at her silly behavior. The Goodnuff's stood idly by, shaking their heads at the peculiar girl they pitied, ashamed they had had to raise her as a child. Everyone was looking at her, laughing as they saw her trying to contact make believe elementals and a fake Fire Keep. She slouched down, wishing she could disappear.

 _They're not real. I'm alone here_ , Kyja pouted.

 _Do you honestly believe that?_

She shut her eyes tight and firmly said "yes." All at once, the laughter disappeared and she once again was alone.

 _Do you want to try again?_

"How do I know this isn't a trick? Tell me where Fire Keep is."

 _Oh how slow you are to learn. Faith! You must believe that it's right there at your fingertips. You will never get there if you do not first believe!_ The voice was annoyed. Standing up, relieved that the laughing crowd had gone, she closed her eyes and began to envision her hand coming close to a door of flame, brimstone, and volcanic rock. As soon as she thought she could feel heat coming from a nearby source, she heard the laughing begin again, and the heat faded away in retreat. She shut her eyes tighter, chanting over and over again "go away. You're not real. Go away." But this time the laughing did not cease. It continued in tormenting waves of humiliation.

Kyja felt ready to break down and give up on the entire search. She covered her ears, but the giggles and scoffs weren't so much as muffled. They played on in her head. Summoning up a final act of courage, she stood and ran straight towards the spot she imagined a giant wood door, opening it and slamming it shut behind her, forcing separation from the crowd.

Thud.

The force knocked her off her feet and onto her back. She definitely hit something, though she couldn't imagine what. Opening her eyes, giant flames erupted from the black obsidian drawbridge that stood proudly before an enormous castle that appeared to be built into a volcano. Looking down, she saw a mote of lava bubbling up from where she was sure she had been standing moments ago. The sounds of mockery and scorn vanished, and Kyja was filled with joy. She had found it.

This was Fire Keep.

—«•»—


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **The Toll**

"Excuse me, but only the high lord is permitted to-"

"The high lord can eat a cogsnip's foot for all I care," Master Therapass said, cutting off the guard mid sentence. "This has gone on long enough." Marcus lay motionless on the dirty pile of hay his cell had to offer as a bed. Sharp pains twisted his insides, and he had stopped trying to fight the constant need to vomit every couple of minutes. Master Therapass had tried to send him numerous amounts of his miracle cures and remedies, but the issue was that Marcus didn't want them.

"Marcus, this is ridiculous," came the gruff voice of the aging wizard as he stomped down the steps. "I will not have you refuse my medical aid anymore! I'm coming down there this instant!" Twenty six days later, Master Therapass' potion for keeping him extensively healthy in Farworld started wearing off, and the grievous effects of his body being stuck in the Shadow Realm was taking its toll on him. He didn't care.

Rounding the final corner to his humble cell, the wizard found Marcus lying in a heap, his complexion as pale as a dead man's.

 _Perhaps there's hope for that_ , he thought. Truth be told, Marcus knew that Kyja at this point wasn't coming back. He had lost her forever. And now, he figured, if he died like this, it could be considered murder on her part for not sending him to earth where he could recover. If that was the case, so be it. If he died like that, maybe he would be able to find Kyja, wherever she was, and help her find the elementals.

"Marcus!" Master Therapass cried, running to the cell door. He did a once over of his crippled body and overall look of death. "How long has he been like this," he yelled, turning to the guard. "I gave you strict instruction to notify me should his condition worsen!" The guard could only stammer out a line of excuses under the powerful gaze of the great magician. "You ignorant fool," he said, silencing the lower man. At the noise, Riph Raph, the annoying blue skyte, rolled over in his sleep, blowing a yawn in his direction, and continued to snore.

 _No one with magic can enter the doorway_. Those final words reverberated throughout his skull. That was fine. He would give up his magic if it meant he could see her again.

"Marcus, I need you to drink this, please. For Kyja's sake." Something was being pushed through the iron bars towards him, but his didn't even lift his eyes to look at it. "You need to be strong when you see her again." It was false hope. He wouldn't see her again, so what was the point? Farworld was doomed either way. He was destined to die since she could no longer push him back to earth. He had no more strength left to fight.

"She's not coming back," was all he said to the figure in the long blue robe.

"How dare you say such a thing," Master Therapass replied. "After all you two have been through, you think she would just give up like that? How could you let yourself think such a preposterous thing such as that?"

"No mortals can enter into Fire Keep. If that's the case, I'm going to go find her and bring her back myself. Even if I have to give up my magic to do so."

"Don't be ridiculous." This whole thing was ridiculous to Marcus. If the time came for him to die, he would give up his magic to be sure he had a chance to help Kyja. All the sudden his stomach was racked with a terrible squeezing sensation, and for a moment he though he was going to barf again. Then he realized this pain was too specific to be any form of sickness. His eyes opened wide with shock. She was there, pulling him over! He barely had enough time to shed a tear of joy before he was dropped into an all new realm of darkness.

—«•»—

She could hardly believe it, but sure enough, it was there. Standing tall and powerful was the monstrous castle of Fire Keep. All she had to do now was open the door.

"Ok. I believe that the door will open," Kyja intoned. It had made the castle appear, surely the same concept was needed for the entering of it. But, as she stood there waiting for the drawbridge to lower, she realized something was wrong.

"I believe the door will open for me." Not even a squeak of a chain moving. "I believe the bridge will be lowered?" She believed it as much as she had believed the door would appear, so why wasn't it working now?

 _No one with magic can enter the doorway_. Her own voice replayed her final words in her head. But that didn't make sense. She didn't have any mag- oh but wait, yes she did. Kyja looked down at her hand and willed a small flame to light upon the tip of her thumb. It was so easy for her. Even Marcus had to do an incantation, whereas all she had to do was wish for it to happen and it did. Was this the ability she was meant to possess? Was she supposed to have this knack for magic, even though she had never used it? Like the time she had accidentally sucked some away from Marcus while they were being chased by the Keepers, Kyja now had the thing she had always wanted literally in the palm of her hand. And now she had to give it up once more. Fate was cruel. Every time she had even a small dose of power she was forced to leave it by the wayside. Why couldn't she just be normal like the others?

 _How do I even give it up in the first place?_

 _Do you truly wish for it to be taken from you_ , came the thought.

"Yes." It was a lie and she knew it. How could she give it up again after the second time it had been granted unto her?

 _You want to save your world, do you not? This is the toll._ The voice was right. She did want Farworld to be safe once again. She couldn't bare to see it fall into ruin like she had seen in the Aerisian's vision. Re-humbled, Kyja knelt down as if bowing to a king.

"For the sake of Farworld, I do not want these powers anymore." A draining sensation overcame her, like a hole that had freshly been filled had been reopened. Feeling even more of shell of herself than before, she stood upright before the gate again.

"I believe I can enter in to the Keep, now."

 _That is not your decision to make._

"But I did all that you asked me to! I gave up my magic! I believed I would find you and I did! Why can't I enter?"

 _Don't think we don't know what you're hiding._ Hiding? What was she hiding? Was there something else she forgot to do?

 _You gave up your magic, but there is still the matter of the boy._ Marcus? What was wrong with him? He wasn't here right now, was he?

 _Do you think your ability to bring him to and from his world to yours is natural? Foolish girl. If you wish to enter into Fire Keep, you must comply with all the rules. No being with magic can enter the doorway._

But, without her ability, how would she get Marcus here? And even if she could face this trial by herself, there was no possible way for her to leave if she couldn't get Marcus to pull her over. Once more, she was faced with a brick wall. It was give up Marcus and never return to Farworld, or let Farworld be destroyed and return again only to see it burn.

 _Such tough choices. But be careful, once you choose you cannot go back._ How could she make such a decision? It wasn't even fully hers to make. She needed help. She needed Marcus. But did she dare pull him over to this side so soon, and with no news except "I'm sorry we can never see each other again?" She didn't have a choice in this matter. They were a team, and Kyja wouldn't make another hasty move without consulting with someone.

Turning away from the burning structure, she reached out far beyond the darkness of the void and searched for her friend amongst the living. A golden rope appeared in her mind, and she yanked with all the might she could muster.

—«•»—

Marcus' body hit the ground with a thump. He strained to look at his new surroundings but found that there was nothing to see. It was just black. Everywhere, darkness clung to the atmosphere and nothingness weaved cobwebs out of void stuff. Turning his head around, the scene didn't change. Everywhere it was the same nothingness.

"Marcus?" He heard his name being called from what sounded like miles away, yet just behind his ear. The voice still held the color of friendship within its tone, and he let himself cry for the first time in weeks as he turned to face Kyja.

But it wasn't Kyja. It was...a shape. It was a silhouette, a shadow, a nothing. It walked towards him on feet of trepidation, and his mortal heart began to melt for the girl who had changed so much since the day he had watched her die.

"K-Kyja?" Tears welled up in his eyes. This couldn't be her. She was... She wasn't. He reached out towards her, and his fingers brushed against hands colder than the one that had squeezed his with reassurance only a couple of weeks before. "Kyja? You're... You're..." He couldn't bring himself to say it. She looked down at him with her deep black eyes. This wasn't right. They were supposed to be green. She wasn't supposed to be like this. She smiled at him.

"Dead," she said, finishing his statement. The single word froze his blood solid. How could she smile like that? How could she be so accepting of this fate she had caused to come upon herself? "It's ok, Marcus. I know." She seemed to read his thoughts. "I'm dead." He sank in his seat, still holding on to those shadowy hands, not able to bring himself to look at her face. It was too heartbreaking. How could she return from this?

"Marcus. I...I have to tell you something." Whatever it was, he didn't want to hear it. The tone she used could mean nothing but further sadness. "Marcus, you can't come with me to Fire Keep. Its impossible." There was something else she wasn't saying, though he was devastated all the same. "We..." She sniffed, though she couldn't cry even if she wanted to. "We can't be together anymore. I...I have to- in order to get into Fire Keep..."

 _No. Don't say it. Please, don't say it_ , he begged. He knew full well what this meant, why she had pulled him over now. "The link we share is magic. Once I get inside, I'll be able to send the elementals. But after that..." Even she couldn't bring the rest of the words to her mouth. This truly was the end, and they both knew it.

"Don't ever forget me, ok? Save Farworld and save Earth. For me." She knelt down and brought Marcus into a cold embrace, sobbing tears that refused to manifest. "I'm so sorry, Marcus. I love you."

He had seen her, and now they both were here. That was all that he needed. He had found her, and now he made a decision in his mind that he would never have to leave her again. "I love you, too," he said, before placing a sharpened point of shadow wood in her ethereal hands. Before Kyja could realize his intent, he clasped her hands together and dove straight towards it.

The wand disappeared into his chest, a gleaming, crimson rose of blood blooming out of the wound. It dripped slowly onto Kyja's hands. The weapon in her grasp, with the blood of her loved one painting them red, she had unintentionally killed him. Marcus watched the dark world fade impossibly darker.

—«•»—


	5. Chapter 5 w Epilogue

**Chapter V**

 **The Point of No Return**

"What are you doing!" Kyja shrieked. If Marcus died now, there was absolutely no hope for Farworld or Earth. She tried her best to staunch the flow of the crude, maroon substance, but it was no use. Marcus was fading faster and faster.

"No...mortals," he gasped.

"No magic either!" Kyja was panicking. What had he done? Was this how he felt when he had watched her die at the feast? Did she cause him to want to kill himself? She didn't understand.

"I...don't...want..." Marcus tried to stammer out, but he was losing consciousness and the words refused to escape his lips. "Give...to...Ky-...K..."

"What? What do you mean?" Kyja was frantic. She couldn't let him die. Not like this. This was all her fault. Maybe she could still change it. Maybe the Abyss of Time wasn't too far damaged. "Mr. Z!" There was only silence except for Marcus' ragged breathing. "Mr. Z, please!" She called hysterically.

 _Do you truly want to give it all to her?_ That was funny. Marcus almost thought he heard a voice in between Kyja's shouting.

"...yes..."

 _Very well._ Maybe it was because he was losing so much blood, but he could definitely feel a sudden sense of emptiness fill his failing body. Then, he was falling.

It was all Kyja could do in her desperation. There were wizards back on Farworld who could help. She pushed with all her might, and in an instant, Marcus was gone again. Master Therapass, who had spent all afternoon gleefully celebrating the great sign that Kyja was still out there, had his merriments suddenly disenchanted when a bloodied mass appeared out of thin air. Landing on the desk, the crumpled figure of Marcus lay still with his wand still stuck between his ribs. There were shouts and screaming of guards and present guests, a sound becoming all too frequently heard nowadays in Terra Ne Staric. In the far distance of reality, the sound of Master Therapass yelling "what happened," filtered in through the white noise that filled Marcus' head. He could only form two words in response.

"Found her." And then he died.

—«•»—

When Marcus' broken heart finally gave in, it was as if all the air elementals stood around him and toppled him with the harshest wind they could summon. The horrific cold that wracked his spirit was worse than when he had found himself in the Abyss of Time that day that now seemed so long ago. He couldn't tell which way was up or down. All he could tell was that he was spinning away from his shallow corpse. Then, just as suddenly as the wind had started blowing, it stopped all together and he found himself back where he had been just a few moments before. Only, Kyja wasn't here to see this new transformation that had overcome him.

Like Kyja's, Marcus' skin had turned the color of smoke. Looking down at the obsidian surface of the afterlife, he, also like Kyja, had had his features completely wiped away. Standing straight, he-

Wait. He was standing straight! Not even a need for a staff. Not even the _Was_ had felt this...exquisite. He turned his head every which way, trying to find Kyja. Surely she would be delighted to see him like this, finally whole and no longer a burden. "Kyja?" There was no answer. Was she upset with him because what he made her do. He was sorry, a little. At least now she understood how he had felt. Besides, that was no reason to waste time moping. Now they could find Fire Keep together. "Kyja!" Marcus called once more. Again, nothing.

Where is she? She was here just a few seconds ago, how could she be gone? "Kyja?" The third time was not a charm in the least.

—«•»—

The heat of the flames that erupted from Fire Keep did nothing to keep the chilling cold of despair at bay. She had done all she could. She sent Marcus back to Farworld. Master Therapass would be able to heal him, Kyja was sure. But had she sent him back in time for him to do so? How could she know? Kyja had made a rash and impulsive decision to send herself here so soon, and now that she had she was paying the price. But if Marcus appeared here, how would they ever be able to return to Farworld and open the drift? If they were both dead, wasn't this whole thing pointless?

Kyja wanted to yank Marcus back right this second. She wanted to yell at him. Chastise him. Comfort him and apologize for hurting him. But if she did, it would probably be for the worse than for better. If he was undergoing a medical treatment, taking him away from it would be catastrophic. But how would she know when he was done? Impatience flared up within her.

The golden rope hung lazily in her mind. She could almost picture a majestic blade swinging through it, severing it in two. The image did more than just captivate her; It scared her. It was as if the sharp edge was cutting off a limb or a piece of her soul. It was as if it were cleaving through Marcus himself. The memory of Marcus dying in her arms leaped to the forefront of her thoughts, and Kyja quickly cast the thought out of her mind. For possibly the thousandth time, she wondered if she could actually bring herself to break the bond between them.

—«•»—

 **Epilogue**

 **-The End Of The Beginning-**

And that's the end, I guess. I wrote this as a prediction to the beginning of Farworld: Fire Keep, and in no means did I ever intend to give it an ending. I had a few ideas as to what I could include, but, quite simply, just didn't. I'll paste their summaries below so you can get a general feel for the direction I was heading, but I am content with leaving this where it is. I have sent this very copy to J. Scott Savage himself in the hopes that by some slim chance he takes into account my thoughts and ideas. If not, that's ok. It is still yours to enjoy and forever a part of the Farworld fan-world. I think I can live with that.

 **How "How Air Keep Should Have Ended" Should Have Ended**

 **(oh man, let's not get carried away with that title)**

Idea #1: Marcus, having given up his magic to Kyja, somehow finds her and enters Fire Keep after she tells him the secret of seeing it. Since he does not have the ability to jump without Kyja's help, he can enter because he has no more magic. Once inside, Kyja grabs the golden rope and Marcus brings her inside.

After eventually getting the Pyrisians (Greek or Latin route "pyro") to agree to help them in their quest, they demand to be returned to their bodies— Master Therapass has healed Marcus's body— because if they don't all of Farworld will be doomed, including the elementals. Somehow, Fire Elementals are able to restore Kyja and Marcus to their bodies. Open the drift, the end.

Idea #2: Thought about having Ty appear in "the void," the result of a fatal car accident, and having him be the one to help Kyja with Fire Keep since she would have to sever the link between Marcus and her. Insert funny "is this Hell" and "are you a demon," lines. Since the fire elementals restore her to her body, and the drift is opened, Marcus and Kyja would still be able to meet up with each other on their separate worlds. I like this idea a lot better.

Idea #3: I kill them. All of them. Everyone. No one survives. No happy endings. Death and tragedy prevail! Hehehe. Hahaha. MUAHAHAHAHAHA! Sorry. Got carried away there. But yes, I did plan for awhile to kill everyone off simply because I could. I did preface this entire series by saying how I didn't feel like the ending of Air Keep was sad enough. Remember, I had planned to make it a lot sadder. I was in a funk and all I wanted was to read and watch a lot of death scenes, so I figured I would write a few. From Master Therapass's martyr, to Bella the cook's drowning, to Riph Raph's accidental impalement. But after a few days of just killing off character after character, I was (and still am) shocked to say that I grew bored of death. Just ask my friend, Joker32223, how much of a strange concept that is. I love death! I love killing characters! How could I grow bored of the delightful moments between a beloved character's last words and their last breath? Well, maybe I just needed a break before my next delicate masterpiece of macabre design. If you want, I shall post those deaths described above. They are all one-shots and have no correspondence with each other, nor the story above.

—«•»—

Thank you all so much for all of your views, follows, and attention. I hope you enjoyed (and cried).


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